Conference: Richmond Geometry Meeting: New Trends in Homological Invariants

Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond VA

Investigators

Abstract

This award supports the Richmond Geometry Meeting: New Trends in Homological Invariants scheduled for September 19-21, 2025, hosted at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA. The conference is designed to foster connections in algebraic geometry, low-dimensional topology, and mathematical physics amongst experts from a variety of institutions and career stages. The conference will include plenary lectures delivered by internationally recognized experts and will showcase new mathematical developments in the area. Vertical integration will be encouraged by a Career and Mentorship Panel and a poster session that exhibits work of early-career researchers. The proposed Richmond Geometry Meeting will feature novel research in geometry and topology inspired by recent advances in theoretical physics. In the last half-century, the study of string theory and dualities has motivated a steadily increasing number of breakthroughs in our understanding of geometry and topology, including homological mirror symmetry, the geometric Langlands program, and, more recently, the quantum invariants of plumbed 3-manifolds of Gukov, Pei, Putrov, and Vafa. Prior editions of the Richmond Geometry Meeting included reports on advances in knot theory, algebraic geometry, and string theory, such as the study of braid varieties, Khovanov homology, complex Chern-Simons theory, lattice cohomology, and the GW/DT correspondence. The current edition of the Richmond Geometry Meeting is designed to provide an opportunity for mathematicians and physicists to disseminate cutting-edge research connected to physically-inspired new homological invariants. This award supports the fifth edition of the Richmond Geometry Meeting, providing a platform for the dissemination of the latest findings in this dynamic realm of research. The conference is designed to bring together mathematicians at various career stages, from undergraduates and graduates to postdoctoral scholars to recognized leaders in the field. Plenary lectures will highlight the work of internationally renowned experts, while strategic use of travel funds and targeted structuring of the scientific program will encourage participation of scholars from the mid- and southern-Atlantic regions of the United States. The meeting will feature a poster session open to all graduate students and postdoc participants and a Career and Mentor Panel, with panelists including an early-career faculty, a senior faculty, and mathematicians working in industry. For more information, please visit the Richmond Geometry Meeting website: https://math.vcu.edu/rgm This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.